10 greatest plays in NFL history feat. The Philly Special

From the Philadelphia Eagles' iconic play in the 2018 Super Bowl to David Tyree's helmet catch, here are 10 plays deemed the greatest in NFL history.

10 greatest plays in NFL history feat. The Philly Special

Nick Foles catches the touchdown pass to conclude the Philly Special (Image via CBS Sports)

In the NFL’s 100+ year history, fans have gained the privilege of witnessing iconic moments frequently. Each season, a handful of plays seem too good to forget, yet subsequent seasons feature another set of plays that make fans forget about the previous year’s marvels.

Be it Odell Beckham Jr.’s one-handed catch or Randy Moss’ helmet catch, these are plays that, despite how impeccable they were at the time, have been replicated many times over.

However, that is not the case with a few plays. Some plays just have that ‘WOW’ factor, which deeply etches them into fans’ memories. These are 10 iconic plays in NFL history that are hard to forget due to the iconic combination of skill, perfect timing, and, to a certain degree, luck. These are plays that changed the trajectory of the game, and came at a time when the team making such plays was on the brink of losing.

Without further delay, here are the greatest plays in NFL history:

10. Roger Staubach debuts the Hail Mary

In recent years, the Hail Mary has become synonymous with a last-ditch effort on the part of the offense to keep a drive alive or win a game with no time left on the clock. The play requires skill and luck to complete. With a completion rate of under 10%, just one in twelve attempts of a Hail Mary is successful. Aaron Rodgers is known to have the most successful Hail Mary attempts with 4, but even though he has mastered the craft, he was not the brains behind the play.

However, a little-known fact is that Roger Staubach was the first to throw a Hail Mary. Back in 1975, when the Dallas Cowboys were down 14-10 against the Minnesota Vikings with seconds left on the clock, Staubach did not lose hope. He launched a 50-yard pass that Drew Pearson caught in the end zone to secure the win for Dallas.

Staubach admitted to closing his eyes after the pass and thinking of the words, “Hail Mary.” Subsequently, the Vikings’ fanbase that was celebrating seconds earlier wound up exercising pin-drop silence.

9. The Tackle

Defensive players in the NFL do not get enough credit for their contributions. Ultimately, it is defense that wins games, and a testament to that statement is the St. Louis Rams’ game-winning tackle in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.

As the Rams led 23-16 in the final moments of the game, the Tennessee Titans had reached the 10-yard line of the Rams with just six seconds left. The Titans ran a play in which wide receiver Kevin Dyson caught the ball and nearly got his foot into the endzone until linebacker Mike Jones made the greatest play of his career by tackling him just one yard short of the goal line.

An absolute nail-biting moment, Jones’ tackle earned the moniker of ‘The Tackle’ and ‘One Yard Short.’ This play is historic for multiple reasons, apart from Mike Jones’ play, it remains the only time in the Titans’ franchise history that they played in the Super Bowl. Additionally, Kurt Warner, the quarterback for the Rams, made history by becoming the first undrafted quarterback to win a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP.

8. Santonio Holmes’ toe-tap touchdown

Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger won one Super Bowl together, and that remains an unforgettable game to date. In Super Bowl XLIII, with 35 seconds left on the clock, Pittsburgh trailed 20-23 to the Arizona Cardinals.

Santonio Holmes toe-tap touchdown
Santonio Holmes toe-tap touchdown (Image via Open Source)

The team was in desperate need of scoring a touchdown, and Big Ben looked to his go-to receiver, Santonio Holmes. Throughout the game, the Cardinals had locked Holmes up, and with the game on the line, the case was no different. Holmes had three defenders in his vicinity, besides, his 5-foot-11 stature put him at a disadvantage over taller corners with longer wingspans.

Call it luck or pure skill, Santonio Holmes stretched his entire body out of bounds, but his toes were in bounds. He caught the ball with both hands and managed to secure it, rendering it a touchdown. Ultimately, the review upheld the referee’s ruling, and this play won the Steelers a Super Bowl.

7. Deion Sanders’ ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment

Deion Sanders announced his arrival in the NFL with a resounding statement. After going fifth overall to the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders, in his first game, did something unfathomable. Prime was on special teams duty, and on a punt return, he caught the ball, but dropped it, and then subsequently recovered it.

He gathered himself with a second and then went on to break multiple defenders and edged past them to make his way to the end zone. It was the first time that Prime did his iconic high-stepping celebration in the NFL, and assured the Falcons that they had made the right decision by picking him in the draft.

6. Malcolm Butler’s Super Bowl Interception

Malcolm Butler interception
Malcolm Butler interception (Image via Open Source)

A memory that will forever haunt the fans of the Seattle Seahawks is the Super Bowl XLIX game against New England. One bad decision cost Seattle a game they had in their pocket. Despite having a tank named Marshawn Lynch who could run through the best defensive line, the Seahawks opted to trust Russell Wilson and opt for a pass in the final seconds of the game.

With the score 28-24, Wilson threw the ball hoping to score a touchdown and end the game, except it was cornerback Malcolm Butler who caught the ball for an interception. The Patriots had pulled off the unthinkable by preventing the Seahawks from scoring. The play was iconic, and the coaching call by Pete Carroll directing Wilson to throw the ball rather than run it is considered the worst decision in NFL history.

5. David Tyree’s helmet catch

As much credit as Eli Manning gets for being Tom Brady’s kryptonite, it becomes easy to overlook the role that David Tyree had in landing one of the two Super Bowl wins. In the final minutes of Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the undefeated New England Patriots, the former trailed by four points.

Eli Manning and the Giants’ offense had to score a touchdown if they intended to win. The quarterback threw a 32-yard pass to David Tyree after nearly getting sacked by the Patriots’ defensive line. Tyree caught the pass after leaping mid-air, and once he grabbed the ball, he retained it by holding it against his helmet. An absolutely risky play, it yielded one of the greatest moments in NFL history.

David Tyree's helmet catch
David Tyree’s helmet catch (Image via AP)

Had he missed that catch, the Giants would have gone on to lose the game. The helmet catch has gone on to earn multiple honors, such as being named ‘The Play of the Decade.’ Interestingly, this catch went on to be the last catch that David Tyree made in his NFL career. What a way to go out!

4. Julian Edelman’s iconic catch in Super Bowl LI

As New England attempted to chip away at a daunting 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, their offense relied on Julian Edelman to find openings and get to the endzone as much as possible. With under 3:30 left in the game, New England had nearly caught up to Atlanta’s score, but the team was still down by 7 points.

As Tom Brady attempted to orchestrate a comeback to tie the score, he continued to find Julian Edelman on each drive. With under 2:30 left in the final quarter, Brady took a huge gamble by making a risky throw in Edelman’s direction. The wideout was in the midst of tight coverage, and the throw was guaranteed to end badly for the Patriots. Robert Alford, Atlanta’s corner, tipped the ball and sent it upwards. The play was still alive as the ball had not touched the ground.

In the midst, Julian Edelman managed to adjust his body mid-air and caught the ball right before it hit the ground. It was one of the most chaotic play sequences fans witnessed, but it provided such a boost in morale to the Patriots that the team went on to complete an impossible comeback. The Patriots sealed the deal in overtime with a lead of 34-28. It concluded the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

3. The Philly Special

The Philadelphia Eagles had never won a Super Bowl in franchise history. In 2018, their journey to Super Bowl LII was nothing short of cinematic. Despite Carson Wentz going down after an injury, backup QB Nick Foles stepped in to take the reins. He dominated, and in the final game against the New England Patriots, Foles and the Eagles led 15-12 with 40 seconds left in the first half of the game.

While this lead may be satisfying for a few teams, the Eagles wanted to head into the locker room with a larger lead. This was the moment that the world was introduced to the Philly Special. HC Doug Pederson called a play with quarterback Nick Foles riding shotgun alongside RB Corey Clement. Soon after, Clement lined up behind him, and then after the pre-snap calls, he positioned himself behind his right tackle.

As soon as Jason Kelce snapped the ball to running back Clement, who immediately took off to the left, but right after, he pitched it to Trey Burton in the opposite direction. The play did not end there; Burton took over as quarterback and found Nick Foles, who had run past the Patriots defense and was now an acting receiver. Ultimately, Foles caught the pass and scored a touchdown, giving Philadelphia a 22-12 lead before halftime.

The play was executed perfectly, and it mentally broke the Patriots. New England had tried to run the exact play a few minutes earlier but failed after Brady dropped the pass. Philadelphia went on to win its first ring by beating New England 41-33.

2. John Riggins’ performance in Super Bowl XVII

The Washington Redskins have won one Super Bowl in franchise history, and did so in a fashionable manner. As the clock wound down, they trailed 17-13 to Miami and found themselves in a critical situation. With 10:10 left in regulation, the Redskins decided to execute their best play.

Head Coach Joe Gibbs called a ’70 Chip,’ a play in which the ball was to be handed off to the left. The simplicity of the play and the flawless execution are what made it one of the greatest plays. As soon as the ball was snapped, tight end Clint Dider made an important block at the edge, then fullback Otis Wonsley swept in and sealed the lane while Joe Jacoby and Russ Grimm opened a path for John Riggins to go through.

Riggins ran through Ron McNeal’s attempt to tackle him and ran 43 yards to score a touchdown, which gave Washington their first lead of the night. Ultimately, the tide shifted in their favor, and Washington won 27-17. It remains the franchise’s only Super Bowl win to date.

1. The Immaculate Reception

The AFC Divisional Playoff game in 1972 witnessed the greatest catches in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Steelers played the Oakland Raiders, and the former trailed 7-6 with 22 seconds left in the game. Pittsburgh’s quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, made a clutch play that will forever be remembered as ‘Immaculate.’

Bradshaw targeted running back John Fuqua, but Raiders’ safety Jack Tatum came in the way of the pass, and the ball bounced right off his helmet. Fortunately, before the ball could hit the ground and end the play, fullback Franco Harris swooped in and caught the ball before it hit the ground, and took it to the endzone for a game-winning touchdown. It earned the Steelers a win, and the play, the moniker of ‘Immaculate Reception.’

The play has been widely recognized as the greatest play of all time. It is also widely criticized as some continue to doubt if it qualified as a completed pass.

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